Newbie looking for tips on, yes, a floor installation

[TeamHighNoon]

Hello everyone! I'm a complete newbie to boat and this site. I own a sign company and traded out $150 in signs for a 1988 Cobia Monte Carlo 172xl (which I can assure doesn't stand for Xtra Luxury) and trailer. Anyway, the floor was rotten, so I've taken most of it out (as you can see in the pictures). The rest of it looks pretty decent. I don't think I need to take out the foam and 'stringers' (Stringers are the cross-braces, right?). It looks fairly solid, but I've never been down this road before and I don't want to start putting a floor down, only to find out that I should of taken out more! Any other tips/hints are greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance.

 

[NoKlu]

Re: Newbie looking for tips on, yes, a floor installation

Welcome to iboats. Do a search on core sample and get samples of all the wood in your boat. All might need to be replaced. The foam probably needs to be ripped out as well. The core sample search will have info on foam samples as well. The foam can be dry on top but have water trapped near the hull. You got a great deal on the boat but it will need a little more work than just a floor. Read all you can here and the completed projects forum is a good place for info.

 

[TeamHighNoon]

Re: Newbie looking for tips on, yes, a floor installation

Thanks, NoKlu! The floor was mostly out of this boat when I got it and exposed to the elements, so I think the foam has to go. You've already helped me out. I'll have to do some more searching on this site, but it looks like the expandable foam like you get at the Depot. What type of foam do I use? The stringers seem to all be fiberglass and, so far, look solid. I would think that those are ok, but I guess I'll see when the foam comes out for sure.

 

[chrishayes]

Re: Newbie looking for tips on, yes, a floor installation

check www.uscomposites.com! I highly recommend them. look at the 2lb 2 part stuff. Cant go wrong there. Dont do the Depot stuff, it is not marine rated and will not resist water like the newer marine foams. all and all, the boat doesnt look that bad. but, like others have said, only core samples will give you the real truth. Good luck! Even if it is totally rotted, its kinda fun repairing it. Check out my thread below in blue for some insight to what you might be up against!

 

[fishmonster13]

Re: Newbie looking for tips on, yes, a floor installation

it looks about like my bayliner did when i got ,floor half torn out and the more i dug into it the more i would find that was rotten ,like the foam looked dry on top but it was water logged on the bottom after i got the foam out of the way i found a spot in the fiberglass in the back on the stringers that i could pull back a little and could tell it was wet , pulled the stingers out and could the peel back some of the fiberglass on transom and found it was rotting as well all of these looked good on the outside .

 

[Graceliner]

Re: Newbie looking for tips on, yes, a floor installation

Hi there, if the floor was out when you got it, and it sat outside, the foam needs to come out. I just poured the 2part foam in my boat and it worked well. my 87 bayliner stringers seemed fine when i checked them at first. the figerglass was hard and decent looking. Unfortunately near the back of the boat( near the transom) the bottom of the one stringer was rotten and i had to replace it. just take your time and do your research on this site. Good luck to you!

 

[Graceliner]

Re: Newbie looking for tips on, yes, a floor installation

check out shareaproject.com and do a search for "boat floor" lots of pictures there too!

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Newbie looking for tips on, yes, a floor installation

Welcome to iBoats

Check this thread out. this guy did Awesome work and was a first timer as well. Total restor and poured his foam.

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?p=2487777&highlight=pouring+foam#post2487777

Good Luck with your project